BEIJING – The two collisions between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels near a disputed atoll on Aug 19 appear to signal a new flashpoint amid simmering tensions between the two countries in the South China Sea.

While China and the Philippines have repeatedly clashed over competing claims elsewhere in the waterway since 2023, the incidents near Sabina Shoal marked the first time that a months-long stand-off at the atoll escalated in such fashion.

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